I recently saw a bumper sticker on a Subaru with Maine plates that read “Real friends visit in March.”

Thankfully, I have several of those types of friends. But I am also grateful for the many more who visit in the summer. These fair weather comrades typically want two things: to go to the beach, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

In the two years we’ve lived in coastal Maine, scallops have become my après beach summer seafood of choice. They are elegant, easy, and tailor-made for the grill. Because scallops are a bit pricey, I've picked up a half dozen or so tricks to make sure they come out succulent, silky, and sweet after a short stint over the fire.

1. Buy the biggest dry-packed scallops on offer. The bigger the sea scallop, the sweeter it will be. These big boys are more forgiving on the grill, meaning they won’t go from raw to rubber as quickly as smaller ones do. Go for jumbo (usually about 10 scallops per pound) or giant (usually between 15 and 20 per pound).

2. Scallops grill best naked. Marinades can hide their flavor and cause flare-ups that scorch the scallops. You only need a finishing glaze with a sweet undertone and a finishing kick.

3. Keep your scallops as dry (blotting with paper towels helps) and cold as possible. And get your grill grates as clean as possible and coated with neutral, high-smoke point oil (such as grapeseed or canola). This juxtaposition of cold flesh and a hot, oiled grate prevents sticking.

4. Let the scallops ride by themselves on the skewer for easy, fast cooking times (without worrying about how done the other skewered bits are).

5. Season them with salt and pepper just before you slap them down on the heat.

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I am an excellent eater (I have been all my life). I’m a pretty good cook (Ask my kids!). And my passable writing improves with alcohol (whether it's the writer or the reader that needs to drink varies by sentence.). I just published my first cookbook, Green Plate Special, which focuses on delicious recipes that help every day cooks eat more sustainably.

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6 Comments

I adore seafood and this recipe for grilled scallops is going to be our dinner tonight- speaking of the coast of Maine- I must find my summer home somewhere there- it is just beyond to have scallops, lobsters and steamer Ipswich clams all summer - I am looking to find a great guy to share my Florida treasure coast abode in the winter with in exchange for summers at his home somewhere in the awesome Maine coast ! They say if you can envision it- it can happen- well im dreaming and seeing it clearly- and so maybe someday- my dream will be a reality !!!! <br />

I know I'm about a year late on this, but any thoughts on grill temp? I'm about to try scallop skewers for the first time. I'm at the beach and cooking for a big crowd and am (unfortunately) using a gas grill.

Gas is an even heat so more control for something like scallops,heat up the fire to about 3/4 throttle and let the grill have time to come to temp. Brush the hot clean grates with oil and then lay out your skewers. Shake some ground pepper and lemon seasoning on them and grill 4 minutes. Flips with a spatula and grill till translucent.. Lay the finished product on a bed of romain and bath with fresh lemon. Drawn butter in s small bowl adds a simple dipping sauce.